Croxsons launches first British sparkling wine bottle on the market
Until now, winegrowers in England and Wales have had to rely on imported bottles of sparkling wine.
Read more "
In 2021, the use of rPET in PET beverage bottles increased from 34.4 to 44.8 per cent. Even though the demand for PET bottles has decreased overall, beverage bottles with a deposit achieve a high recycling rate.
In just two years - between 2019 and 2021 - the average proportion of rPET in Germany rose by more than 10 per cent. According to the study „Volume and recycling of PET beverage bottles in Germany 2021“ by the Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung (GVM), the rPET rate in 2021 was 44.8 per cent, and the trend continues to rise. The Recycling rate of PET beverage bottles (with and without deposit) averaged 94.8 per cent in 2021 and thus remains at a very high level.
„The high rPET and recycling rates are proof of the efficiency of the German deposit system for drinks bottles,“ explains Dr Isabell Schmidt, Managing Director at the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V. (Industrial Association for Plastic Packaging) (IK). „We see great potential across Europe and hope that more European countries will also establish deposit systems in the future.“ Because filled PET beverage bottles were even recycled in Germany in 2021 to over 97 per cent. Due to its great success, it is to be expected that deposit systems for drinks bottles will soon be made compulsory throughout the European Union.
In 2021, 44.8 per cent of recycled PET was used for the production of beverage bottles in Germany, a Increase of 7 per cent compared to 2019. „This increase shows that the beverage industry is increasingly focussing on closed cycles in terms of sustainability,“ explains Dr Isabell Schmidt.
Another positive aspect is the Trend towards ever lighter PET bottles. The study shows that material consumption in production, and therefore the use of resources, has been significantly reduced. The lower weight led to material savings of 4.5 per cent. However, declining demand and substitution by glass bottles also led to a decrease in PET volumes. In 2021, in Germany around 17 billion PET beverage bottles or 446 kilotonnes consumed, almost 5 per cent less than in 2019. „Consumers in Germany can choose PET drinks bottles with a clear conscience. They are transported and recycled in a particularly energy-efficient way and do not end up in the environment because of the deposit,“ says Isabell Schmidt.
Rising demand for rPET
The beverage industry expects the use of rPET to increase further in the coming years. On the one hand, the manufacturers and distributors of PET beverage bottles want to achieve the sustainability targets they have set themselves. On the other hand, the legal requirements of the European Union which stipulate an average rPET content of 25 per cent in disposable drinks bottles throughout Europe from 2025.
Recycled PET is not only popular for reuse in drinks bottles; the film industry also has a high demand for the recyclable material, for example to produce food packaging. This sector accounted for 26.8 per cent of PET recycled in 2021. Other areas of application include the production of fibres and detergent bottles, plastic strapping and injection moulding applications. Demand for rPET even exceeded availability in Germany in 2021, meaning that manufacturers had to import additional rPET from abroad. „There has long been a fierce competition for secondary raw materials which is also reflected in the prices. PET recycled from drinks bottles has been more expensive than virgin material for many years,“ states Schmidt.
GVM has been analysing the PET material cycle on behalf of Forum PET every two years since 2013 and publishes the results in a study. The current study refers to data from 2021. GVM looked at all beverage segments relevant to PET bottles in the deposit and non-deposit areas. Both non-returnable and returnable bottles were analysed.
Source: IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackung e.V. (Industrial Association for Plastic Packaging).
More messages about beverages
Austria's one-way deposit fulfils target
One year after the introduction of the one-way deposit system for beverage packaging, Recycling Pfand Austria is taking positive stock.
Read more "
Tetra Pak invests in barrier technology
Tetra Pak is investing 60 million euros in its own pilot plant for the further development of paper-based barrier technology at the Lund site.
Read more "
Fritz-Kola starts national roll-out of the 0.33-litre can
Fritz-Kola is expanding its packaging range with the national introduction of the can from 2026.
Read more "
Product innovation in glass 2026: Apply now
Companies from the bottling food and beverage industry can now apply with their new products packaged in glass for the industry award „Product Innovation in Glass“.
Read more "
Eternity Systems takes over CLS
The company is thus further expanding its industrial platform for reusable and closed-loop solutions.
Read more "